Does anyone else think there's a virus going around that under normal circumstances we'd think "Oh it's a virus" but we're all paranoid about SF?

[BarkingHarriet]

Dh and I have both had sore throats - not bad, just a bit prickly, dizzy spells, stiff necks, achy bodies and a very slight temperature that's sorted with ibroprofen or paracetomol. But not really ill IYSWIM.

If you read the stuff on NHS direct, we've both potentially got swine flu - but I've had normal flu and this is just a minor inconvenience compared to that.

If it wasn't for all the stuff in the media we'd just be thinking "oh, it's a summer virus, I'll be better in a couple of days" but no, everyone's panicing about swine flu.

Am I in denial or does anyone agree with me?

I agree - I've had similar, what the NHS symptom thingy defines as potential SF so call gp, but reality is it could easily have been a.n.other virus. Still stayed home though as have had no energy to do otherwise.

well some people are complaining of incredibly painful throats or dc with very high temperatures that will not go down and that seems something different. Everything else is being classified as mild SF I suppose when really it could be anything.

I think it's the high temp &and& a cough that is distinguishing SF. I had a temp, very sore throat and a cough the other week, who knows? However, some have been swabbed as positive to SF but showed no symptoms at all. So there must, presumably, be over-recording and under-recording.

Agree with op.

We've all had something but nowhere near as bad as flu, ime.

There are people still being swabbed as test cases, so doctors can gauge what percentage of flu type illnesses are caused by H1N1 and they are finding that most are being caused by H1N1 and not other viruses. That doesn't mean that every case is swine flu but H1N1 is causing a lot of illness.

You're right that if it wasn't for the stuff in the media we would probably be thinking "oh it's a summer virus" - but we'd also be thinking (certainly in some parts of the country) "bloody hell, aren't there a lot of these summer viruses this year?!" and "what's going on?!" - and then doctors would have looked into it and discovered that there is a new virus causing most cases. This is not a fiction created by the media, there is a real new virus out there causing more (luckily mostly mild) illness than usual!

There are lots of viruses that cause respiratory illness and circulate during the spring and summer months: enterovirus, parainfluenza virus, coronavirus, rhinovirus... plus seasonal influenza A and B are still around.

They are sometimes hard to distinguish on clinical grounds from a mild case of swine flu, and the HPA is keeping a record of which viruses are being detected. Remember we don't usually go around mass-testing everyone from year to year in the summer, nor are members of the public so aware of their symptoms and signs from day-to-day.

My family were all ill at the end of April - just BEFORE H1NI hit the headlines - had all the symptoms but no D & V.
Lasted a week, all got better then it returned. Called doc as were not allowed into surgery ( they were not swabbing at this point ) - doc did home visit and said it was a 'virus' ? but could not be H1N1 as we had not been in direct contact with anyone who had it.
Think there is also another virus going around OR H1N1 has been circulating far longer than anyone is aware.

o my children have had several of the symptoms of sf but I'm convinced it hasnt been sf, just another virus. I'm expecting that we will feel significantly unwell when we do get it.

We've all had D&V, aches and runny noses here but no fever so I'm assuming it's just another virus. I've had flu before and normal flu is much worse than this, but then I have been confused by all the stuff about sf being very mild in some people...

I guess we'll never really know.

It really does sound as though in most cases it is just a moderately unpleasant virus. And people who have ongoing health problems die from various moderately unpleasant viruses at about the same rate.
SO it is a big old flap over bugger all really. But hey, it's summer, and the Government are pleased to have something to take people's minds off the economy and the war.

I was just saying to DH this evening, could we have had swine flu and not really noticed. I thought I had severe hayfever for a few days accompanied by a bit of a lack of appetite and dicky tum but nothing like flu which i' head once and would never want to have again.

DD1 vomitting and general offness for abot 3/4 days, DD2 off her food, barking cough, very snotty nose & bit of a temp but not very ill for a few dyas too. We were all ill within the same 7 or 8 day period but I wouldn't have classed any of us as really ill or even thought about swine flu tbh.

My work and DD2's nursery have confirmed cases so I suppose it's possible but who knows.